Evan Wilson
Professional Genealogist
Education
- BA in English, NYU
- PhD, English and Medieval Studies, UC Berkeley
- Certificate in Genealogical Research, Boston University
- Certificate, Advanced Legal Concepts for Genealogy, SLIG (2020)
- Certificate, Advanced DNA Evidence, GRIP (2021)
- Certificate, Advanced Land Tools: Maps, SLIG (2022)
About Me
I fell in love with genealogy as a child listening to my grandmother’s stories. My academic journey took me through a PhD in English and Medieval Studies, where I learned how thrilling it can be to encounter a document from another culture and try to understand it on its own terms. That same interest drives me today as I solve genealogical mysteries for clients that also touch on who we are, both as individuals and as a society. My specialties include Southern US research and history, DNA, and land records and mapping.
Memberships
- Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society
- Association of Professional Genealogists
- California Genealogical Society (board member, recording secretary)
- National Genealogical Society
- North Carolina Genealogical Society
- Tennessee Genealogical Society
- Virginia Genealogical Society
Work Samples
Proof Arguments
Research Reports
My Services
"Brick-Wall" Research
Have an ancestor whose origins are a total mystery? I can help uncover their story – and with it, their birth family.
DNA Results Analysis
Okay, so you got some results back from a DNA testing company: an ethnicity estimate and, if you're lucky, a ton of matches. How does it reflect your tree – or reveal new ancestors?
Editing
Whip your manuscript into shape, whether that means help with grammar, punctuation, style, or argument.
Record Retrievals
I do record retrievals from courthouses and other repositories in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Evan was amazing and quickly responded to my needs...It was the best investment to help me when I hit 'brick walls' and was feeling frustrated.
–Anne Born
This is stunningly wonderful, as all your work is. (Religious scholars are fond of quoting Krister Stendahl's comment about "holy envy," which is to say admiration that opens new possibilities for the learner. That's what I feel when I read your stuff.)
–Kimberley Heuston